South Meadows Action Group (SMAG)
Newsletter
May 2025
‘Persistence is the driving force behind enduring success’
Dear SMAG Member,
Following our general meeting, we got good feed-back from members about the discussion and the work of SMAG, with most people glad to know that many others feel the same way about these issues and that we may, just, be able to bring about some changes.
Progress Report
We managed to get a significant article published in the Sunday Post, setting out the position quite clearly (see attached copy).
We have now identified at least 25 members that have made submissions and we are aware that there are also submissions from other parts of Edinburgh (many using SMAG ideas!). It should be amusing to see how the TEC approach works in the New Town area, which is due for bin-hubbing later this year! Anyway, let’s see what changes the review actually brings. We will be carrying out our own ‘review’ of the Council’s decisions later in the year and will keep you all posted on outcomes.
The CEC Bin Hub Review deadline is June 2nd, so you still have time, if you are quick. Please remember to brief your Councillors on your submission so that they know what is expected of them.
To re-cap: applications to move / change Bin-Hubs should be made to:
Anne Christie, Project Officer, The City of Edinburgh Council, Communal Bin Review Team, Waste and Cleansing Services, Seafield Depot, 1 Fillyside Road Edinburgh EH7 6RD. [email protected] www.edinburgh.gov.uk
She is also now advising that submissions for review should also be sent to
to make it easier for them to manage enquiries and get them logged into the system immediately. So send them a copy each!
Also, remember that, for SMAG, it is important for us to have information on all applications made, so that we can assess the progress we are making.
Please report your submission to [email protected]
More general information about the Communal Bin Review is on the CEC webpage at the link below.
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/bins-recycling/communal-bin-review
For your information, we attach to this newsletter:
- A copy of the Sunday Post article (if only Oor Wullie was in charge of the Council!!)
Future Activities
All parties accept that the level on noise around the bins is unacceptable, and at times loud enough to be illegal by any normal industrial limits. So SMAG will revert with ideas later in the year, once we are sure that the CEC Review of existing Hubs is well under way, with positive results for Members.
The SMAG website
The website www.smagsco.org is our official site which provides information on our campaigns, our newsletters and will eventually carry minutes of meetings and announcements. Its development is coming on and we would like you to publicise its existence to any friends in Edinburgh. We welcome any photographs or information that you would like to share which can be sent to [email protected].
Next Committee Meeting
Our next SMAG Committee meeting will be in Mid-July. Any thoughts / ideas you may have should be emailed to [email protected]
New Members
It is clear that working together does have an impact. Our street discussions are telling us that there are still many residents who are worried about Bin Hub issues but are unaware of SMAG: So, please spread the word to recruit new members to SMAG. Things should be easier now that we have our website up and running.
We are also looking for new Committee Members – COULD YOU VOLUNTEER?
Reporting Bin Hub Abuse
Here is the web link to the CEC Bin Complaints section:
- Complaints procedure about bin abuse (overloading/fly tipping etc.)
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/communalbin
Keep us Informed
If you have any views you wish to share with the Committee, please contact us by email to – [email protected]
Many thanks for your support
Kate, Alastair, June, Silke & Nick